He might be one of the greatest players to ever touch the Counter-Strike series, and one of the most recognizable names in the entire Esports industry, but Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has extended his already-impressive reach by making Forbes’ fabled ‘30 under 30’ list. The Ukrainian superstar made Forbes’ Europe 2022 Sports & Games category alongside G2 content creator and Twitch sensation Ibai “ibai” Llanos, and joins some other famous CS:GO names that have made similar headlines over the years. To learn more about how NAVI’s biggest name added another record to CV, check out Gamelevate’s full take right here!

What Is The Forbes 30 Under 30?

The Forbes 30 Under 30 is a celebratory shortlist of professionals under the age of 30 who have either made a name for themselves with their achievements or who have dramatically impacted the industry they work in.

As Esports and the gaming world have continued to explode in both popularity and scope, more and more pro players and content creators have found their way into this shortlist. The likes of Ninja and Pokimane have both found their way into the list as content creators, whilst League of Legends pro Luke ‘Perkz’ Perkovic was included back in 2021.

S1mple isn’t the first CS:GO to make the 30 under 30 either, with Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz and Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut both being included in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

As the name would lead you to believe, the ‘Forbes Europe 2022 Sports & Games” shortlist isn’t just reserved for those who have made a splash in the digital space. Forbes have cast a pretty wide net when it comes to the list, with everyone from Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Ferrari Formula One driver Charles LeClerc Tennis sensation Emma Raducanu and PSG center-forward Kylian Mbappe all making the cut this year, alongside developers and directors at companies like EA and Square Enix .

NordVPN takes its inspiration from the Nordic ideals of confidence, trust, and innovation. We value our customers’ freedom of choice and strive to be innovative with our technology. Check it out to get protected, today!

A Powerful Statement

S1mple was already one of the most famous CS:GO pros on the planet over the last couple of years, however the past twelve months or so has seen his stock reach all-new heights.

Reclaiming his throne as the world’s highest-rated player, his performances led NAVI to a record Intel Grand Slam and their first-ever Major Championship at PGL Stockholm, where the Ukrainian scooped the MVP award.

Along with Paralympian Dmytro Suiarko, S1mple’s inclusion comes as a powerful statement amid the continued Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the CS:GO pro being a potent voice against the destruction of his home country.

Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Sports & Games 2022: List In Full:

Kylian Mbappé (23): Center Forward, Paris Saint-Germain

Bella Collins (29): Rower, Ocean Sheroes

Fabien Devide (29): Cofounder, Team Vitality

Georgina Felce (28): Cofounder, Talewind

Rudy Gobert (29): Center, Utah Jazz

Arthur Guisasola (27): Strategic Partner Lead, Sport, TikTok

Alex Jolliet (28): Manager, Principal Security Architect, IOC

Piers Kicks (23): Founding Partner, Delphi Ventures

Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev (23): Esports Athlete, NAVI

Charles LeClerc (24): F1 Driver, Ferrari

Michaela Lintrup (24): Esports Athlete, G2 Esports